You might remember Forest Wars from our Amplified special on some of the band submissions we received at this year’s New England Metal and Hardcore Festival – the Ohio hardcore band couldn’t make it down themselves, but actually had friends come by to sign them up! The first taste of their music we got was an intense one indeed, so we’ve been waiting eagerly to hear more ever since. Today is the day: below is the video for the track “Familiar,” from their upcoming “Light Leaks” EP. The track is a sludgy, mostly downtempo hardcore punchfest, but there’s some curious shoegazey melodies that eventually creep in, and combined with the lyrical content and mostly black and white video showcasing the protagonist burning a box of photographs, Forest Wars has an interesting attitude about keeping some emotional heft in a genre that’s absolutely lousy with tough-guy meathead-isms. The track rules, and there’s more to come. Keep an eye on these guys!
